Prime Minister Manmohan Singh files fresh affidavit to end confusion over his age

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress Rajya Sabha candidate from Assam, has filed a fresh affidavit correcting his age to 80 prior to scrutiny of the nominations today.

The Prime Minister submitted the fresh affidavit two days ago correcting his age to 80 from 82 as given earlier in his nomination papers for the May 30 election, Assembly sources said today.

As per rule, there was time till yesterday for contestants to submit affidavits for making corrections in their nomination papers, they said.

The Prime Minister had filed his nomination papers on May 15 at the state Assembly before the Assembly Principal Secretary G P Das, who is also the Returning officer for the Rajya Sabha elections.

May 23 is the last date of withdrawal of candidatures.

Polling, if necessary, would be held on May 30 from 9 am to 4 pm. Votes would be counted on May 30 at 5 pm and elections should be completed before June 3, 2013.

Yesterday, the second Congress candidate and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) candidate filed their nomination papers for the second Rajya Sabha seat from Assam on the last day of filing nomination papers.

Congress candidate Santius Kujur, a tribal leader from the Christian community who had contested the last Assembly polls from Panery in Udalguri district, filed his nomination papers in the presence of senior party leaders and MLAs in the assembly.

AIUDF's Aminul Islam, accompanied by party Chief Badruddin Ajmal and other party leaders, also filed his nomination papers before G P Das.

Meanwhile, Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita has urged AIUDF to withdraw their candidate in favour of the ruling party's nominee.

Similarly, AIUDF President Badaruddin Ajmal has also urged Congress to withdraw from the second seat as they had left the first seat for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"As partners of the UPA coalition at the centre we respect the Prime Minister and we want him to win unopposed but at the same time, we want the Congress to reciprocate and leave the second seat for us," Ajmal said.

AIUDF is the largest Opposition party in the 126-seat Assembly with 18 seats, while the ruling Congress has 78 members.